Current Members
Rozanne Arulanandam
Senior Scientific Manager
Dr. Rozanne Arulanandam has been a Researcher with the Diallo lab since 2012. She completed her BSc in Microbiology and Immunology at McGill University and obtained her PhD in Pathology & Molecular Medicine at Queens' University in Kingston, where she studied the role of Stat3 in cancer cell growth and survival. As a postdoctoral fellow in the Bell lab, she aimed to provide mechanistic insight to the inherent vascular targeting ability of oncolytic viruses and their ability to synergize with chemotherapeutics to allow for improved and rational cancer therapies. As a Research Associate in the laboratory of Dr. Jean Simon Diallo, she has been contributing to the application of virus sensitizing technology to the field of vaccine manufacturing. Currenty she helps to manage many of the academic and industrial collaborations in the lab and co-mentors the excellent trainees. In her spare time Rozanne enjoys spending time with her family and making omelets.
Elena Godbout
Research Laboratory Manager
Dr. Elena Godbout, a laboratory manager who joined the Diallo lab in 2019. Her work encompasses the development of novel strategies for therapeutics biomanufacturing, translational research, commercialization activities and training initiatives. Prior to her tenure at the lab, she earned her PhD from the University of Freiburg in Germany, with a research focus on molecular aspects of inherited and autoimmune skin diseases. Following her doctoral studies, Dr. Godbout pursued postdoctoral training at the University of Toronto, under the guidance of Dr. Boris Hinz. Subsequently, she conducted research on small molecule therapeutics for blood cancers, utilizing mass spectrometry approaches in the laboratory of Dr. Derek Wilson at York University in Toronto. Beyond her professional pursuits, Elena enjoys outdoor activities with her family and is a passionate designer.
Andrew Chen
Senior Research
Technician
Andrew
Chen joined the Diallo lab as a Senior Research Technician in 2012. Prior to
joining the lab he was a research technician in the lab of Michael Chretien at
the ICRM in Montreal. He oversees all in
vivo-based experiments in the Diallo lab and provides the lab with
invaluable technical support every aspect of lab activities. His research is
focused on determining the relationship between in vivo and ex vivo efficacy of
oncolytic virotherapy. Andrew enjoys his outdoor time and is often spending his
weekends on long bike rides and runs in Gatineau Park and surrounding
countryside.
Anne Landry
Senior Research Technician
Anne Landry joined the Diallo lab as a Senior Research Technician in 2017. Prior to joining the lab she was a research technician in the lab of Alexander Sorisky for more than 12 years. His lab is also with OHRI but within the Chronic Disease Program. The focus of the lab was on metabolic syndrome most particularly with adipocytes cells and macrophages. She is currently working with lentivirus and adeno-associated virus platform combined with Viral Sensitizers, one of the main focus of the Diallo Lab. Anne enjoys outdoor time and spending time with her family.
Marcus Spinelli
Research technician
Marcus joined the Diallo lab in the fall of 2021 as a research technician. He received his BSc in microbiology at the University of Guelph, working with Dr. Sarah Wootton for his Honours project on stability studies for a recombinant AAV gene therapy vector. Since joining the lab Marcus has assisted in multiple projects including Covid and viral sensitizer drug screens. After his own experience with cancer, Marcus' passion for research and discovering new or improved treatments has been reignited. In his free time, Marcus is either in the kitchen or out for a walk listening to music a little too loud.
Marina Agueda Oyarzabal
Postdoctoral fellow
Marina joined the Diallo lab in June 2024 as a postdoc. Early in her career, Marina left the Basque Country to pursue a MSc in Immunology at Imperial College London, where she studied the innate immune response to RSV in the lung. She then moved to Denmark to pursue a PhD in Basic Metabolic Research at the University of Copenhagen, focusing on the role of immune cells and chemokines in brown adipose tissue for the treatment of obesity. Seeking new challenges after her PhD, Marina transitioned into industry working for Novo Nordisk as a Postdoc in Gene Therapy. During her career, Marina has gained extensive expertise in immunology, metabolism, AAV biology and vector manufacturing. Marina joined the Diallo lab to continue bridging academic research with industry, and she is now exploring the therapeutic potential of viral sensitizers to reduce the immune response to gene therapy vectors and improve pre-clinical drugs. In her free time, Marina loves dancing hip-hop and enjoys going on motorbike rides.
Past lab members
Akram Alwithenani - PhD Candidate
Anna Jirovec - PhD Candidate
Zaid Taha - PhD Candidate
Nouf Alluqmani - PhD Candidate
Boaz Wong -PhD Candidate
Serge Neault -PhD Candidate
Keara Sutherland - MSc Candidate
Glib Mazyni - Research Technician
Daniel Serrano - Postdoctoral Fellow
Harsimrat Birdi - PhD student
Mohsen Hooshyar - Post-Doctoral Fellow
Nicole Forbes - Research Associate
Fanny Tzelepis - Research Associate
Naveen Haribabu - Research Technician
Michael Phan - M.Sc Student
Anabel Bergeron - M.Sc Student
Oliver Varette - M.Sc Student
Ramya Krishnan - Ph.D Student
Mohammed Selman - Ph.D Student
Nader El-Sayes - M.Sc Student
Hwan Hee "Connie" Son - M.Sc Student
Fabrice Le Boeuf - Senior Research Associate
Colin Davis - M.Sc Student
Jeff Hamill - Senior Research Technician
Vanessa Garcia - M.Sc Student
Paula Ou - Honours Student
Rachel McPhedran - Honours Student